


needle in a haystack

by androgenius



Series: Dimilix Week [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, One-Sided Sylvix, Valentine's Day, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgenius/pseuds/androgenius
Summary: An attempt at combining all of the prompts for Dimilix Week Day 1 - Firsts / Sunset / Modern AU / Valentine's Day.Felix and Dimitri used to be the best of friends-- before Dimitri moved away, anyway. And while attending the same high school should have mended fences, the difference in their social classes has never felt more obvious to Felix. Which gives him all the more reason to hide away his dumb crush... until Valentine's Day, that is, the one holiday that can turn even Felix Fraldarius into a hopeless fool.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Series: Dimilix Week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634758
Comments: 5
Kudos: 88
Collections: 2020 Dimilix Week





	needle in a haystack

"I hate him."

Felix knows that this is a lie every time he says it, which is often enough. Still, it certainly looks that way from his current vantage point-- Dimitri's locker just down the hall, practically full to bursting with love letters, decorated pink by whatever Cupid decided to make Felix's week a little worse. 

Okay, a lot worse. 

There are even _balloons._

"You _do not_."

Sylvain is right, of course, not that that makes it any easier to accept. 

"I do _too_ hate him."

It takes roughly five seconds upon Dimitri's arrival for the vultures to descend. They crowd around him like he's a brand new carcass for them to tear into and devour, their chittering enough to drive anyone insane. Felix isn't entirely sure how he tolerates it. 

"He's just popular-- not like he can help that." To his left, Sylvain whistles. "Looking good, Ingrid!"

"Eat my entire ass, Sylvain!"

"I'd love to! Saturday night at seven? We can call it a date!"

"She's already gone, moron-- do you never give up?"

"Gautiers aren't quitters! If there's one thing my brother taught me, it's that. It's also why I can never let my guard down when he's home." When Felix doesn't say anything in response-- because, honestly, he's seen the bruises and there's nothing remotely helpful that even _could_ be said-- Sylvain continues, leaning in a bit closer to Felix's ear. 

"Look, can you really blame him? He's a popular, good-looking dude from a prominent, wealthy family that just happens to also be captain of the football team, student body president, and somehow still stupid nice. _On Valentine's Day._ What girl wouldn't want to at least try her luck?"

Once more, Sylvain is right. Felix _hates_ that.

How long has he been standing at his locker now? This is stupid. 

Grabbing his biology door and slamming the door shut, Felix almost misses the apologetic smile Dimitri throws his way. 

But only almost. 

&

He's working on homework during class when a crumpled up ball of paper hits the back of his head. 

"What the fuck, Sylvain?" he hisses, turning around in his seat to glower. "You sit _right behind me._ "

"I know why you're so crabby."

Felix exhales, the sound coming out as more of an annoyed huff than a breath. "Because I can't get away from this garbage holiday?"

A glance across the room is all he needs to be reminded yet again. Dimitri's desk is teeming with roses on account of a ridiculous idea their school had-- one that allowed students to purchase flowers alongside small messages to be delivered to their classmates, all for the meager price of a dollar.

Way too accessible. 

It's not even like Felix came up empty, either. Defiantly staring back at him are three roses. One, he already knows, is from Annie, who told him to expect one in advance, as if he needed to mentally prepare himself for receiving such a sentimental gift of friendship. 

The other two... those are more mysterious. One of the notes said _"from an old friend and secret admirer"_ while the other was left blank. 

Dimitri, meanwhile, is struggling to even keep his school supplies on his desk alongside _his_ roses. 

"You sent him one, didn't you?"

Hole in one. More than just his perceptivity, Felix is starting to resent Sylvain's entire face.

"Why would I do something as ridiculously clichéd as that? _If_ I was even going to send the boar anything, which-- I wouldn't."

"Because you're hopelessly in love with him and it's really inconvenient that the rest of the school is, too?"

The pencil in his hand strains against his death-grip on it, threatening to snap. If he were Dimitri, it already would have. 

"You see that skull up there?" he asks, pointing to the top of a large oak cabinet at the front of the classroom. "That could be you. Do you _want_ that to be you?"

"You can't hurt me. Not when I'm armed with the truth and nothing but the truth, Your Honor. But you are welcome to _try_ and dispute the facts." 

Felix works his jaw. Squares it. Wills his mouth to work and just fucking disagree with Sylvain.

"Mmrrr."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Hard to deny the truth when your best friend lays the facts all out in front of you, huh?"

"I'm going to hit you so hard I'll kill your whole family, Sylvain."

"Well," he says, grabbing his things the second the bell rings, having evidently gotten all of them together in advance already, "start with my brother, why don't you?"

With Sylvain already out the door, Felix takes his time with his things, not wanting to end up walking out alongside Dimitri. His next class is just down the hall, after all, so he's in no rush.

He makes it two steps out the door when Dimitri gets most decidedly _in his way._ So much for that, then. 

"Felix--"

"Don't fucking talk to me."

"I just wanted to--"

"I don't give a _shit_ what you want." He gives him a once-over. All those fucking roses. He looks like a flower shop threw up all over him. "You look ridiculous, by the way."

Dimitri actually looks genuinely hurt by the time Felix pushes past him, and it takes him all his willpower not to turn around and undo whatever damage he caused. 

Whatever. He'll get over it. After all, he was sent an entire florist's worth of affection.

He doesn't need Felix.

&

Sylvain has been telling a story about... something for a good five minutes now. Felix already knows that he'll be upset when he finds out that he hasn't listened to a word that's been said, but it changes little. 

Sylvain waves a hand in front of his face.

" _What?_ "

"How much longer were you planning on staring a hole into his locker?"

"Hm."

It's still decorated with Valentine's Day-themed wrapping paper, but at least the balloons are gone and the love letters are no longer poking out through the vents. It's a small improvement. 

"I know that this is a crazy idea and all, but... why don't you just _talk_ to him?"

"Different social groups."

"Um, hello? I could come up with a better excuse in my _sleep._ "

Felix crosses his arms in front of his chest and tries not to punch Sylvain in the arm for being unnecessarily _cheeky._

"You want more reasons? _Fine._ He _doesn't_ remember me. The whole school is his friend. He's busy enough already being a fucking Garreg Mach High VIP that he doesn't need to deal with me being a--" _clingy piece of shit_ , "-- annoying just because we used to be close."

"Oh, do you hear something, Felix? Because all I hear is bullshit excuses because you're chickenshit-- _ow!_ "

Okay, so maybe he is a coward. Still, Sylvain deserved to get punched regardless, and he _does_ feel better having let off some steam.

"Next time, it's going to be a nut check."

"The shit I put up with in the name of love and friendship," he mutters, running his hand over his arm as though Felix had actually hurt him. _Ridiculous._

"It would help if you stopped pretending that this had anything to do with you."

"It does _so_ have to do with me! The second you get laid, I suspect that there will be a considerable drop in the number of times I get punched."

"Don't count on it."

"I'd offer myself, but..."

The lunch bell's ringing signals an end to the period, Felix letting out a sigh as he pushes himself up off the floor to get into his locker. 

"There he is," Sylvain whispers, Felix feeling himself bristle as he pushes back the urge to crack his math book over Sylvain's head.

"Sylvain."

"Go talk to him!"

Hoisting his backpack back up onto his shoulder, he turns to Sylvain. 

"You know what? Fine."

He is not going to like this. 

Making his way past several now-disgruntled people, Felix arrives beside Dimitri's locker... and leans. He can only hope he looks as cool and casual about this as he doesn't feel.

"No fan club today?"

"Felix-- you must know that that was hardly my choice-- far from it, in fact."

He gets his locker open just in time for several more red and pink cards and envelopes to fall out and onto his face. Predictable.

"I see you're doing so much to dissuade them. Your many lovestruck admirers. Do they all know that they're sharing you with the whole school?"

"Felix, that's not-- I don't--"

"Let me know when you finish going through your fanmail, _Your Highness._ "

Dimitri is about to respond, but Felix is far from in the fucking mood, turning on his heel to start heading for class. 

"Holy _shit._ "

Oh good. Sylvain. 

"You put a note in his locker on Friday, didn't you?"

"No."

"Fucking _Seiros,_ you did! I can't believe this! No wonder you've been such an ass! Hard to get noticed when you're a needle in a haystack, huh?"

Felix does some quick mental math in his head. If a teacher sees him now, it's been, what, almost a month without incident? 

Yeah, worth it. 

Grabbing Sylvain by the front of his shirt, he backs him up into the next unoccupied lockers he spots, his mouth drawn into a thin line.

"I will rip out every single one of your pubes individually and _feed them to you with a fork_ if you don't shut the _fuck_ up."

"Kinky."

Letting go and walking away does little to abate his anger _or_ block out Sylvain's words.

"Hey, free manscaping, though, right? That almost sounds like a good deal!"

_Hard to get noticed when you're a needle in a haystack, huh?_

Felix hates him.

&

_February 20th, 5:30 pm_

_Under the bleachers._

It was probably a stupid thing to write, anyway. It's probably better if Dimitri didn't read it or just assumed it to be from someone else.

It's dumb. It's dumb that he feels this way at all. When did feelings of friendship even turn into infatuation? Maybe he's just confused, his heart conflating the two for sentimental, nostalgic reasons because he misses his friend. 

He's probably just confused.

"Hey, Annie," he whispers, leaning back onto the desk behind him. "How do you get over someone?"

"Is this about Dimitri?"

"I'm going to kill Sylvain."

"No, no! Don't kill Sylvain, he didn't do anything wrong, I just kinda guessed. Sorry."

"Great. Now I'm transparent."

"No, that's not it at all! I just... know you, I guess."

He'd prefer it if no one knew him that well, but he supposes it's fine, since it is Annie. At least with her, he knows she won't go and tell the whole school about his dumb feelings for dumb Dimitri.

"So?"

"Time and distance heal all wounds? Those are the big ones, anyway. Or you could find someone else."

"There is no one else, and distance isn't an option since, last I checked, we both still go to the same school." She's right. He should just transfer. "And I don't _have_ time to get over this. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of feeling like this _all the time._ "

"Wow, that... is worse than I thought! You've really got it that bad for him?"

Does he? He feels tremendously stupid, that's all he really knows for sure.

"Never mind."

"No-- that's not a bad thing! I just needed to confirm. Look-- how sure are you that he doesn't feel the same way? Sometimes a rejection is all it takes, you know! Not that I'm saying you'll get one! Just-- it can help to know for sure."

"Yeah," he says slowly. "Thanks, Annie."

&

"Annie's right," Felix declares later on their walk home. "I just need him to tell me to go fuck myself and I'll be over it."

"I don't think Dimitri has ever said the word _fuck,_ let alone combined with those other words."

"You know what I mean, dipshit."

"Though... kinda struggling to picture Annie saying that, too."

"I'm _paraphrasing._ "

"Uh-huh."

Oh no. 

" _What_ are you doing?"

"Texting Annie, obviously."

" _Give me that!_ "

Felix makes a grab for the phone only to fail spectacularly in the process, Sylvain holding the phone well out of reach of him.

Honestly, fuck him for being so ridiculously tall.

"It's not even your phone, dude! Chill."

Felix lowers his arm and stops trying to jump up Sylvain's arm with a sharp huff.

The phone buzzes. 

"Oh, would you look at that! She's already written back!"

"I hate you."

"Looks like Annie actually told you to give it a shot because she thinks you stand a chance! Why you gotta be such a negative Nancy, huh? Everyone is rooting for you! We are all rooting for you, Felix!"

"Die."

"I feel like you've become more violent... I wonder where it all went so wrong..."

"Maybe the part where you decided to become involved in my personal life when I explicitly asked you not to?"

"Nah, it definitely can't be that..." Clapping Felix on the shoulder, he lets out a growl, glowering at the pavement ahead of him instead of directly at Sylvain. His eagerness to throw himself headfirst into this is nothing short of terrifying. "Just ask him out? If you don't, I can guarantee that something much worse will happen that you _definitely_ don't want."

"That's not ominous at all."

"Just... no going back, you know?" Sylvain lets out a chuckle that almost borders on sounding nervous. 

Must be his imagination.

"Don't be weird. I'm not asking him out." A fact unrelated to the part where he technically already has. 

"It's not weird! There's nothing weird about caring about the happiness of your bro!" 

Felix comes to a slow halt in front of his house before turning to Sylvain, hands in his pockets. "In that case, I suggest you go get yourself tested for... everything."

Turning around, he makes his way through the front gate, Sylvain still calling after him.

"Incorrect! That won't actually make me happy!"

He can't help but grateful that Sylvain can't see his smile on the way through the door.

&

It must truly be a special level of hell that Felix has fallen into if he deserves this. It's not like he could have anticipated these circumstances-- Sylvain, seated at the neighboring table to his left, Dimitri to his immediate right-- when he signed up for anatomy in the fall. 

Seat neighbors, honestly. What is this, a cliché?

A wadded-up ball of paper hits his temple. Brilliant. 

" _What?_ " he hisses, turning to glare at Sylvain, who just nods to the ball now on the floor. 

Throwing him a glower-- not very menacing, but Felix is certainly doing his best to change that-- he leans down to grab and unfurl the ball. Ridiculous. 

> _saw blaiddyds test score while teach was walking by_

"So?" he mouths over at Sylvain, who promptly grabs the piece of paper back to scribble out a response that promptly finds its way back onto his table. 

> _SO he aced it & that means that he prbly knows where the p-spot is ;)_

"Don't call it that."

He takes the paper again, about to write out yet another response when Felix interrupts.

"Why the fuck aren't you just texting me this garbage?"

More writing. This is tedious.

> _im on the 5th warning with cichol. not sure i can get away with another one._
> 
> _also? don't change the subject. i bet your boy sucks gr8 dick ;)_

He's not responding to that. Instead, he opts for shoving the paper into his backpack to the dramatically dismayed scoffing of Sylvain. He's pouting, probably having just finished rolling his eyes. How truly sad for him that Felix isn't looking.

A pristine, crisp piece of paper is slid in front of him from out of his periphery. 

Wait, what? 

> _Can we talk?_

Felix blinks. And then actually bothers writing back, which earns him mock-shock and outrage from Sylvain.

Serves him right, really.

> _No._

He slides the paper back over, promptly deciding that that response _may_ have been a mistake. Dimitri looks like a kicked puppy. It kind of hurts to look at him like this. 

Taking the piece of paper back with an aggravated sigh belying his patience, Felix adds-- 

> _What do you want?_

Dimitri doesn't hesitate.

> _I'd like to talk. :)_

This time, the decision is easier, Felix shoving the piece of paper back to Dimitri just as the bell rings.

> _No_. 

&

Maybe it was silly for him to show up here, after all. 

He knows Dimitri's schedule, which is just as dumb as the rest of... all of this. It's how he knows that football practice just ended not too long ago, and that he usually takes around half an hour to get changed and showered before heading to his car. 

So... five thirty. 

He's here, and early to boot. He feels like an idiot, but he's here, under the bleachers, ready to be... fucking hopeful and shit. As if there's something to the garbage that Annie and Sylvain attempted to offload on him.

If they're not completely full of shit... he'll show up. 

Five minutes pass before five thirty rears its ugly, hopeful head. If feelings had a form, Felix thinks they'd have fangs and would look like Dimitri. 

Dimitri, who still hasn't shown up at five forty, the sunset having long encroached on the horizon to bathe Felix in melancholy, hopeless shades of orange.

By the time six o'clock hits, he wants to kick himself, Felix opting for kicking the frame of the bleachers, instead. His foot hurts, but-- at the end of the day, it still couldn't possibly compare to his heart... or his pride, for that matter.

Feelings are dumb. The whole lot of it was dumb of him to hope for in the first place.

The thought is filled with enough bitterness, at least, that it carries him back to his car, his thumb pressing down on the clicker to unlock it. 

"Felix--! Felix, wait, please!" 

He doesn't dare hope. His heart is a fortress, only barely chipped by this dumb, stupid boy, and he's spent the last half hour attempting to erect additional reinforcements. He's considering encasing his heart in ice, and he doesn't _dare_ hope. 

And yet, like an idiot, he turns around. 

"Boar."

"I'm so sorry, the coach kept us late--"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know your handwriting," Dimitri tells him, his voice as honest as it sounds pleading, desperate. "And I know it's your birthday. So--" 

Tugging his backpack to the front to unzip it, he pulls out a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a dreadfully-wrapped present, and a teddy bear.

"What is all this?"

"I've been trying to give these to you all week, but..."

But he kept turning him down. 

Felix feels his fortress crack and start to crumble. He may as well have handed Dimitri a trebuchet. Then again... maybe it was always in his possession in the first place.

"I really wanted you to be my Valentine, Felix. And I know you don't like sweets, but--"

Taking a slow step forward, Felix doesn't dare meet Dimitri's gaze, instead busying himself by taking box, gift, and bear out of his arms to set atop the hood of his car for the time being.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Freeing up your hands," he says simply, and pulls him in for a kiss.

Maybe Sylvain was right. Maybe he doesn't hate him all that much, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> The poorly-wrapped present contains all the letters that Dimitri ever wrote Felix between the time that they were friends as kids and now. 
> 
> Also, Sylvain's "something much worse that [Felix] definitely [doesn't] want" would have been him asking Felix out. Poor Sylvain :(
> 
> Come yell about dimilix with me over on [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/androugenius)!


End file.
